© 2020 Nomadict. All rights reserved.
Florian Wenzel
@flopunktwe
Best of the week 44 at #nomadict 2022
Photography and traveling changed my life. I met my closest friends through it. And it’s kinda my way of isolating myself from the stress of daily life. Not that I want to run away from something, but sometimes everything is simply too much. For me being on the road with beloved people always feels like recharging my inner battery. Plus, I get to create memories I will never forget.
In August 2018 we did a hike in Graubünden, Switzerland. The weather forecast wasn’t on our side but we did it anyway. After hiking through fog and rain for four hours we finally reached the top of the mountain and had still no visibility. My whole body was shaking and freezing, and at the night it started to snow. An hour before sunrise my alarm rang but we were still caught by the whiteout. I opened the tent every ten minutes, hoping that we would see something, and then I witnessed one of the most amazing sunrises. I reached for my frozen boots and woke everybody up. We were rewarded with an incredible view over the clouds. Everybody screamed because of the joy we felt.
"Back home and while editing, I try to recreate and increase the light while keeping the image natural."
The same goes for the colors. So I am working a lot with gradients and radial filters. I start with one of my presets where I have some basic adjustments saved like noise reduction, sharpening, colors, etc. Then I adjust the exposure, shadows, and highlights because I tend to shoot a little bit darker to save the highlights. I use radial filters to enhance the fog and the lights a little bit more, and after that, I straighten the image.
For me to be happy with the result the colors have to be homogenous and the photo has to have a natural feel. There shouldn’t be something that is distracting and I want to create an atmosphere that soaks the viewer into the photograph. There’s no precise manner to assess whether a photo is ready or not, it’s more a feeling. When I’m thinking, yeah that’s how I felt and I don’t want to change anything – That’s when I consider a photo as finished. However, editing an image can take me sometimes 15 minutes, three months, or in the extreme 3 years because I can be very picky in this matter.
Success for me is when I’m happy with my work and that is something I’m really struggling with – because often I’m my biggest critic. It is very tempting to criticize negatively, thinking that I‘m not good enough, that everything that I do follows a repetitive pattern, etc. For me, it’s quite difficult to handle that because at which point is it a style, and at which point do you start repeating yourself and stop being creative/innovative? Where are the boundaries? If somebody knows you can hit me up!
On the other hand, I try to teach myself to also criticize myself constructively and see the positive side of things. When I recognize I’m in the negative thinking cycle, I try to remember that photography brought me so much. Friendships, laughter, and a lot of good stories to tell! And I will remind myself that photography made me who I am now and that my past self would be really proud of me.
Would you like content like this sent to your inbox?
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
BEST OF THE WEEK JUNE 2021
BEST OF THE WEEK MAY 2021
BEST OF THE WEEK APRIL 2021
BEST OF THE WEEK MARCH 2021
BEST OF THE WEEK FEBRUARY 2021
BEST OF THE WEEK JANUARY 2021
NOMADICT
ART GALLERY
THE LATEST STORIES
WRITEN WITH PASSION TO INSPIRE YOU
Maksym Mazur (@withmazur): Best of the week 35 at #nomadict 2024
Mazur’s journey intertwines his love for travel with a deep commitment to capturing the world’s fleeting beauty. His work often reflects his awe of nature, such as in his image of the jungle that won Best of the Week at Nomadict, taken from above at sunset with perfect timing and serendipity.
Katarina Batuta Višekruna (@katarina_mandarina): Best of the Year 2023 at #nomadict
From the wild beauty of Vermillion Cliffs to the depths of Mexico’s cenotes, Katarina’s work reflects a deep connection with the environment and a love for visual storytelling. With 18 years of experience and the co-founding of her production company, HiishiiPhoto, Katarina continues to evolve her craft. Katarina’s photo of the Vermillion Cliff was chosen for Best of the Year 2023 by the Nomadict community.
Alex Pantela (@alexpantela): Photographer based in Cyprus
In this article, Alex Pantela shares strategies to deepen your connection with nature through content creation, his favorite environments to stay creative, techniques for storytelling, the vision behind his work and editing style, and most valuable lessons!
Arnaud Ribeiro (@arnaud_ribeiro): Best of the week 26 at #nomadict 2024
Arnaud’s journey into photography began in 2023, inspired by a friend’s breathtaking road trip photos. Starting with a basic drone and a desire to capture the beauty around his home, his passion quickly grew, leading him to invest in a camera and fully immerse himself in the craft. Though still early in his journey, Arnaud’s dedication to practice, patience, and embracing mistakes has already shaped his evolving style. One of his images won the Best of the Week at Nomadict.
Cuno de Bruin (@cunodebruin): Best of the week 33 at #nomadict 2024
From his early days experimenting with a DSLR to capturing breathtaking drone shots in the mountains, Cuno’s work reflects his love for storytelling through images. In this article, he shares the experiences and lessons that shaped his career, from winning awards to balancing his creative pursuits with family life.
Harry Sohal (@harrysohalphoto): Photographer based in Canada
In this article, photographer and creative director Harry shares his journey from a college hobbyist to a professional creative, rediscovering his passion during the pandemic. He delves into his approach to capturing authenticity, his techniques for brand promotion, and the tools he uses to achieve a distinct, film-like aesthetic.
Derrick Kosea (@d_kosea_kaptures): Best of the week 31 at #nomadict 2024
Derrick is a photographer from the Navajo Reservation (New Mexico), a member of the Navajo Nation tribe, and an electrical engineering student. A recent highlight was capturing his dream shot of Shiprock surrounded by fog, a photo that won the Best of the Week at Nomadict.
Liam Alford (@liam_alford_photography): Best of the week 33 at #nomadict 2024
Liam Alford is a self-taught nature and wedding photographer with a passion for capturing the special moments in the world through his lens. In this article, we learn about his journey, valuable lessons from his outdoor experiences, and his shooting + editing approach to the image that won the Best of the Week 33, 2024.
